Ondřej Kolář
Police Academy, Czech Republic

Ondřej worked in Czech Republic’s prison service from 1999 to 2020, namely in the pre-trial detention, as responsible for monitoring inmates’ extremism, and as chief of the prevention and complaints unit. In 2012, he was an expert on security in prisons on a mission in Afghanistan and has been a RAN member of Prison and Probation since 2011 and EENeT since 2015.

Ondřej is the co-author of an analytic tool for monitoring manifestations of extremism among inmates (SAIRO). Since 2015, he has been a lecturer in Slovakia regarding manifestations of extremism in the virtual space. He is an academic researcher in Prague’s Police Academy of the Czech Republic with a specialisation in extremist tattoos, propaganda tools, extremist symbols, and the radicalisation process in prisons. He is also the co-author of an educational program for prison staff.

Magdalena El Ghamari
Collegium Civitas, Poland

Magdalena has a PhD in the field of defence sciences, specialising in operations and operational techniques. She is a research and didactic worker at the Institute of Political Sciences and International Relations (INPISM) and Head of the Cultural Security Laboratory at Collegium Civitas in Warsaw. Member of the Society for Libyan Studies (The British Academy), the Peacekeeping Veterans Association of the United Nations. A scholarship holder of the Minister of Science and Higher Education for outstanding Young Scientists, an expert of the Foundation for Polish Science and an expert in the field of Islamist Extremism in the MIRAD project consortium. Research interests: terrorism (activity of terrorist organisations and recruitment processes), radicalisation processes, MENA region, religion and culture of the Arab-Muslim world.

Stanislaw Czerczak
Founder and leader of the CODEX Foundation – collaborator of the European Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) by the European Commission.

An expert of the Institute of Social Safety. Former member of the neo-fascist group of football hooligans. He is an expert in counteracting radicalisation in the youth environment. Most of his adult life was devoted to counteracting discrimination, intolerance and hatred. He is an expert in the field of innovative EXIT strategies and other de-radicalising activities. And all because, as a teenager, he was involved in an extreme right-wing extremist group. Social activist, speaker and educator. Czerczak trains teachers, the police, prison officers and border Guards. Co-author of publications, author of newspaper articles.

Bosakevych Vyacheslav 
Advisor of the Head of the Department for the Execution of Criminal Punishments in the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine

Graduated with honours from Odesa Law School (Ukraine), National Academy of Prosecution Office (Ukraine) and Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, LLM. Master of Laws (Germany). Since 2020, Vyacheslav has been working as an Advisor to the Head of the Department of criminal execution of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and has visited more than 100 pre-trail detention facilities and prisons.

"By monitoring the Prison System of Ukraine from the inside, you can better understand the problematic issues. Nowadays Ukrainian Prison System is on the way to changing. A few more steps are necessary to consider Ukraine’s reforms to be completed. Our main aims are coordination, communication, control of implementation processes and delivering results in a timely fashion. The Ukrainian prison system ensures effective communication and partnership with national and international colleges, human rights activists and civil citizens.  On a positive note, looking at the Ukrainian experience through the lens of a more comprehensive European perspective integration, it’s clear that we can share an experience and methods of the reform in Ukraine."

Pedro Liberado  
Chief Research Officer (CRO) - Radicalisation, Violent Extremism and Organised Crime Portfolio Coordinator

Pedro Liberado holds a degree in Sociology from the University of Coimbra, a master’s degree in Criminology from the University of Porto, and is a PhD candidate in Criminology at the University of Granada. He is also currently pursuing a postgraduate degree in Strategic and Security Studies at NOVA University of Lisbon and the Institute of National Defence of the Portuguese Ministry of National Defence.

Pedro is a former researcher at the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon and the Research Group for Cultural and Political Sociology (TCuPS), a part of the Research Centre for Knowledge, Science, Technology and Innovation Studies (TaSTI) of the University of Tampere, Finland. He is a certified trainer, a member of the Radicalisation Awareness Network of the European Commission (having participated in RAN PRISONS Working Group meetings), and a full member of the International Corrections and Prisons Association and the American Probation and Parole Association.

At IPS, Pedro Liberado coordinates the Radicalisation, Violent Extremism and Organised Crime portfolio of projects which includes HOPE – Holistic Radicalisation Prevention Initiative, R4JUST – Radicalisation Prevention Competencies’ Development Programme for Justice Professionals, WayOut – Integrated Exit Programme for Prisons and Probation, INTEGRA – Integrated Community, Probation and Prison Services Radicalisation Prevention Approach, PRACTICIES – Partnership Against Violent Radicalisation in the Cities and R2PRIS – Radicalisation Prevention in Prisons.

Nadya Radkovska   
Chair of the Council for Penological Co-operation, Council of Europe

General Directorate “Execution of Sentences” since the beginning of 2004, initially as a member of the team responsible for the preparation of the system of alternative sanctions and measures (probation) in Bulgaria.

Throughout this period she has participated in the development of policies in the sector, selection of future probation officers and implementation of partnership projects. In 2009 Nadya Radkovska became Head of the newly formed sector International Co-operation and Professional Training of Staff at the General Directorate “Execution of Sentences”. She established a team to widen the international contacts of the organisation. As a sector head, Nadya Radkovska is responsible for the training and professional qualifications of staff for the whole organisation, which includes developing policies, strategies and programmes. She is also responsible for the monitoring of European projects and programmes running under the General Directorate “Execution of Sentences”.

Nadya Radkovska has graduated with a degree in Psychology and a specialisation in the field of Forensic Psychology. From 1999-2000 she practised at the largest university hospital for neurology and psychiatry in Bulgaria, at the department for Forensic psychiatry and psychology. In 2007 she obtained a Counterterrorism MA with a specialisation in managing specialised antiterrorist operations. Since December 2015 Nadya Radkovska is a Member of the PC-CP Working Group.

Elyamine Settoul  
Associate Professor, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Paris

Expert in the topics of Sociology of institutions; sociology of organisations; Security and defense issues; Radicalisation, terrorism, counterterrorism; Sociology of immigration, integration, ethnicity; Methodology and epistemology of social sciences. Elyamine Settoul is a lecturer at the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts and a doctor of political science from the Paris Institute of Political Studies (2012).

He worked as Jean Monnet Fellow at the Robert Schuman Center for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute in Florence (2013-2015). His research revolves around security/defense issues, themes related to immigration and radicalization phenomena. He has participated in multiple European research projects and is an expert on radicalization phenomena with many structures (radicalisation observatory, ministries, local authorities, prison administration, and such).

Cezary Mecwaldowski  
Designer, researcher, expert witness and author of publications

Senior lecturer of the Security Department of the Central Training Centre of Prison Service, Poland. Responsible for training courses focusing on ICT in prisons, confidential information, personal data protection and how to use devices to control people, luggage and vehicles. For ten years I was a lecturer/trainer at the Security Training Department. Specialist in technical protective security, in particular, alarm systems. He has been conducting video surveillance research in the Polish Prison Service for over eight years. Cezary has two years of experience in Power engineering, twenty years in designing low-current systems, and electronic security - alarm systems and a two-year internship in Saudi Arabia in the field of the power industry and automation. For 3 years he has been a lecturer at the Training Center of the Polish Chamber of Alarm Systems.

A graduate of Łódź Technical University majoring in Industrial Power and Applied Computer. Moreover, completed post-diploma studies at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland – "Pedagogy" and at the University of Economics in Poznań, Poland – "Organisation and Management in Public Administration".

Maria Stoyanova  
Analyst, Law Program - Radicalisation and terrorism, Human rights protection

Maria's educational background includes an LLM in International and European Law, specialization in Public International Law and Environmental Law, Tilburg University, the Netherlands, and BA in International Relations, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Bulgaria

Maria Stoyanova currently works as an Analyst at the Center for the Study of Democracy. She is involved in the implementation of projects conducted by both the Law and Security Program, in the field of human rights protection, countering terrorism and radicalization and the other priority topics of the programs.

Maria graduated with her Master’s degree with distinction. Before joining the CSD team, Maria worked in the non-governmental sector, specifically in the implementation of projects in the area of children’s rights and social entrepreneurship, funded by the European Commission. In 2018, she was an intern at the Diplomatic Institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bulgaria.

Vânia Sampaio 
Consultant & Researcher - Radicalisation, Violent Extremism & Organised Crime Portfolio

Vânia Sampaio has a degree in Criminology from the University of Porto, Portugal, and a master’s degree in Terrorism, International Crime and Global Security from Coventry University, United Kingdom. In the scope of her degree, she conducted research on police perceptions of human trafficking as one of the obstacles in investigating and prosecuting these cases.

In addition, she was an intern at the Portuguese gendarmerie police (Guarda Nacional Republicana), specifically in its criminal investigation unit. In the scope of the master’s degree, her dissertation focused on the role of civil society in the fight against organised crime, namely the case of the Sicilian mafia. Vânia has developed collaborations with a Portuguese online media platform and a television channel in the creation of content on criminological issues.

At IPS, Vânia Sampaio is assigned to the Radicalisation, Violent Extremism and Organised Crime portfolio, under which she collaborates on several projects.

Raquel Venâncio 
Consultant & Researcher - International Judicial Cooperation Portfolio& Researcher - Radicalisation, Violent Extremism & Organised Crime Portfolio

Raquel Venâncio holds a master’s degree in Political Science and International Relations, from the Catholic University of Lisbon, Portugal. Her master’s dissertation focused on Jihadist Terrorism in the XXI century, namely on ISIS and its propaganda machine.

She was an intern at the Representation of the European Commission in Portugal, where she was in charge of press reporting to the spokesperson service and the offices of the European commissioners in Brussels, press reviews portraying the media coverage of European affairs in Portugal, and worked on missions that counted with the presence of European Commissioners alongside the organisation of international events such as “Dialogue with Citizens” and “SummerCemp”.

Moreover, she was an intern at the EURODEFENSE (PT), where she investigated the European Process and the Security and Defence Institutions. Afterwards, she was part of the Portuguese National Defence Institute, overseeing defence courses. Raquel was also at the Portuguese National Innovation Agency as a project assistant, where she was responsible for collecting and analysing information for the PERIN Observatory project.

At IPS, Raquel Venâncio is assigned to the International Judicial Cooperation portfolio, where she collaborates on several projects.

Darina Sarafova
Analyst at the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD)